Nissan continues to work toward solidifying partnerships, which have clearly become a key component of the company’s turnaround strategy.
The details: The Japanese automaker’s CFO Jérémie Papin, speaking exclusively to Mergermarket, reaffirmed the importance of establishing new strategic alliances and building on existing relationships, reports Ion Analytics.
Papin noted that Nissan’s more than decade-long relationship with Renault could present new partnership opportunities—indicating that the two are currently in talks to renew their alliance.
The Japanese automaker is also exploring a partnership with Honda to jointly develop software-defined vehicles—despite merger talks between the two falling apart earlier this year.
Nissan is also looking at new alliances beyond traditional auto manufacturers—building on partnerships like the one announced in April with the UK-based autonomous driving software developer Wayve.
What they’re saying: “So much is needed in the auto industry to be competitive today, in terms of diversification of power trains, incremental expectations from consumer(s) from connected services, safety gains linked to autonomous driving capabilities,” Papin said. “If you want to be relevant, you will need to cooperate with someone. If you want economies of scale faster or share entry tickets faster, you have to partner.”
Why it matters: Nissan’s partnership push around software, connectivity, and autonomy will shape the tech content, pricing flexibility, and product mix dealers see—creating more opportunities for post-sale revenue and differentiation, but also requiring higher levels of training, tooling, and operational discipline at the store level.
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Between the lines: The Nissan CFO also discussed the impact that U.S. tariffs have had on the company’s recovery plan unveiled in May, as the company aims to turn around its operations.
The automaker initially expected that its gross tariff exposure would be Japanese Yen (JPY) 450bn (1.77 billion USD)—but now estimates that its full-year exposure will be around JPY 250bn (1.61 billion USD), with the lower 15% tariff level.
To offset the risks of tariffs, Nissan is reviewing its industrial strategy with a focus on localizing parts and adjusting production flows between China, Mexico, Japan, and the U.S., which includes increasing Rogue output in the U.S.
“Ultimately, what we cannot eliminate as a flow, it will have to be dealt with through cost-cutting, somewhere in the business. Through fixed costs mostly,” Papin explained.
Bottom line: If Nissan’s partnership and localization strategy lands, dealers could see more U.S.-built, tech-forward products with a clearer pipeline and less tariff-driven volatility—but they should also expect ongoing cost discipline from the factory, which may limit rich incentive spend and push more focus on operational efficiency, F&I performance, and service-driven profitability at the store level.
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